AuthorTopic: cd-less upgrade / reinstall of VL (Read 6772 times)

I installed vector 5.0 on an old sony laptop a couple of years ago and lent it to a friend. It was quite a pain to install as I have no cd drive and the machine won't boot from USB devices.

I've just got the machine back and think it is time for a reinstall.

What's the easiest way to get it to the latest vector linux version? Is there an easy install route from vector 5.0? I could put it on an old windows XP partition (that won't boot anyway). I have read about tools that help you install from iso but they need grub.

I have a similar issue with my Toshiba Libretto SS1010 though I do have a PCMCIA CD-ROM drive that works with it. What I found to be easiest was to take VL and put it on a USB stick and then use vinstall-iso to install it to the hard drive. That does require an operating system that works in addition to VL. If you're short on hard drive space you can install a mini-Linux distro like Slitaz or Damn Small Linux and run the installation from there. A frugal install of Damn Small Linux requires only a little over 50MB of hard disk space. Add maybe 10MB for safety and your VL scripts and you're good to go.

If you have a USB CD-ROM drive you can use the vinstall-iso script instead.

I used the direct install method when I installed VL 6 alpha a few weeks ago. I couldn't get my CD-ROM drive to boot the CD (although the CD booted on other computers and it boots commercial bootable CDs without problems). I have three functioning Linux partitions on that computer, so I did the direct install from my VL 5.9 Deluxe partition. No problems.--GrannyGeek

I extracted the 5.9 install script from the iso (it is not available on the net in the places where 5.8's install script lived).

Made a fresh partition and installed.

Right at the end of the install I get "Fatal error: kernel too old".

It turns out (googling on the above error + "vector") that you need to install it _from_ a linux with a 2.6+ kernel.

If I had a linux that new I probably wouldn;t be bothering to install in the first place.

I can't seem to upgrade anything on my vl5.0 since the repo's don't exist any more. I can only boot off a floppy or the HD. No CD no usb possible. Damn small linux with a 2.6 kernel does not fit on a floppy.

Basically the iso install stuff doesn't help in the cases where you really need it.

No, there isn't a simpler way. However, even after the "kernel too old" error your new installation might be usable. Mine was. Did you try to boot into it?

I tried :-(

Maybe there is still a simpler way. How new does the kernel have to be? Looks like there are linux floppy images with 2.6.something out there. They require a 1.722MB disc. I followed some instructions to get one mounted etc but didn't manage. I'll try on another machine.

you can take the kernel and the initrd from 5.9 and put them into your /boot dir and add them to your bootloaderyou will have to put the ISO in the root of one of the partitions for the installer to find it after rebooting into it.

I'm picking up an eeePC tomorrow, and wanted to get VL running on it. I've been messing around for a while trying to find a way to get the VL iso to run off a USB drive. This seems like the closest I've found, but I haven't been able to replicate your success. Mostly because I'm an epic Linux noob, so I'm operating under Vista to set this up.

I've been able to make a USB drive boot to DOS successfuly. Following the instructions, Direct ISO on a Windows Host, I've got the image sitting on the flash drive, but I don't know where to find these files: * loadlin.exe Get it from “install/loadlin/” directory within the FTP site. * initrd.img Find it as “isolinux/initrd.img” within the FTP site * The kernel file that matches your system (ide, scsi, sata, adaptec) You may select one of them from “isolinux/kernel/” directory within FTP site.

Googling has found several FTPs, where I can find files very similar, but not quite the same as the ones required. If someone could tell me the FTP to find these files, and which kernel I'd use, I'd be forever greatful.

Great! Thanks, I found loadlin and initrd on the iso. Not too sure about the kernel though. The only one in the folder was sata. I don't know whether the kernel needs to match the USB drive or the drive in the laptop, but I guess I'm okay if it's the laptop drive.

*EDIT* After actually using my brain for a moment, I realised I probably need the kernel for the USB, seeing as the kernel for the destination media will be loaded with the iso. So, could someone help me out with which kernel I'd need for the USB drive?